Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) the Minister for Defence has declined to provide documents commissioned from Macroeconomics.com.au Pty Ltd relating to the potential impact on the Australian economy in accordance with the 17 November 2014 order for production of documents,

(ii) on 23 February 2016 the Minister advanced a public interest immunity claim That the Department of Defence commissioned the documents to inform the Cabinet's consideration of the build of the future submarine,

(iii) in 1975 the Senate by resolution laid out its position with respect to public interest immunity claims indicating that, while the Senate may permit claims of public interest immunity to be advanced, it reserves the right to determine whether any particular claim will be accepted,

(iv) on 3 March 2016 a further order for production of documents was made by the Senate requiring the Minister for Defence to provide the basis for the public interest immunity claim made in the Senate on 23 February 2016, and

(v) on 16 March 2016 the Minister failed to comply with the order for production of documents of 3 March 2016 indicating That the Government would not disclose legal advice; and

(b) does not accept the public interest immunity claim made by the Minister for Defence in relation to the order for production of documents of 17 November 2014, and that there be laid on the table by the Minister for Defence, by the next day of sitting, the documents commissioned from Macroeconomics.com.au Pty Ltd, including economic modelling and other examination of the potential economic impact of the SEA1000 submarine project on the Australian economy, among other subjects.